Fire escape



4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. M. PINK.

(No Model.)

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 389,69 Patented Sept. 18, 1888.

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WITNESSES:

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J. M. PINK.

FIRE BSGAPE. 4

Patented ept. 18, 1888.

WITNESSES: VE/VTOR Wad A? .w%. Mammy I I A T T ORA/E Y UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JACOB MARCUS FINK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 389,696, datedSeptember 18, 1888.

Application filed May 10, 1888. Serial No. 273,418. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACOB MARCUS FIN of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Escape, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improvement in fire-escapes, and hasespecial reference to that class of fire-escapes which are constructedto be folded up in a compact space and to be released and extended fromthe top of a building when required for use.

The object of the invention is to provide a fireescape ofthis-description so constructed and arranged that a ladder formed ofhinged sections may be located at the top of a building in foldedposition when not required for use, and can be readily released andextended down the side of the building.

The invention will be set forth in the following description and claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the views.

Figure 1 isa view of afire-escape constructed according to thisinvention, shown as folded up at the top of the building, the partsbeing in section. Fig. 2 is a front view of the fireescape, showing aportion thereof in extended position, partly in section and broken away.Fig.3 is a plan view of the top of the device, with the casing of theoperating mechanism in horizontal section. Fig. 4: is a detail view,partly in sectionand broken away, of one of the'joints of theladder-sections. Fig. 5 is a side view, with parts broken away, of oneof the joints of the ladder-sections. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectionshowing one of the alarmconnections of the ladder with the building.Fig. 7 is a sectional side view ofthe fire-escape in extendedposition,and Fig. Sisafront view thereof.

' In the construction of this invention I employ a ladder made with anumber of folding sections, 1, the top section being formed with arms 2and provided with supports 3, the arms 2 and supports 3 being secured tothe wall 4 of the building. The several sections 1 of the ladder arehinged together by means of pivotlinks 6, and the meeting ends of thesections are formed with a projection, 7, recess 7, and shoulders 8, bymeans of which, when the sections are extended, a rigid joint will besecured.

To secure and hold the joints-in position when the ladder is extended,sliding sleeves 9 are located on the uprights of the sections 1 adjacentto thejoints, so that when the sections are extended sleeves 9 will dropinto place over thejoints and rest on the adjacent rung of the ladder.The sections 1 are also braced and held together by bars 9', pivoted tothe adjoining sections, the lower end of each bar 9 being pivoted nearerto the adjacent ends of two sections than the upper end. The relativeposition of the pivotal points of the ends of each bar 9 with the endsof the adjoining ladder-sections is such that,'taken in connection withthe links 6, the sections are permitted to fold up, the links 6 being inthe positionshown in Fig. 1, and the bar 9 extending in a slightlydiagonal direction from one section to an adjacent section.

The several sections 1 are held in folded position by means ofdownwardly-projecting pins or plates 10 10 10, extending from slots 11in a casing, 12, secured to the front of the building adjacent to itseaves,or in any other suitable position, and containing the roller 13,having longitudinal cogs or teeth 14, which mesh with a rack, 15.;Adjacent to the rack 15 is a second shorter rack,- 16, and adjacent tothe latter is a third rack, 17, the several racks 15, 16, and 17 beingmounted on sliding plates 18, which are located over the slots 11 in thebottom of the casing 12, and to which the depending pins 10 10 10 aresecured.

The rear end of the plate 18 on which the rack 15 is mounted is providedwith a bar, 19, at right angles thereto, which extends over the plates18 on which the racks 16 and 17 are mounted, and serves, in connectionwith the pins 20 on the plates and recesses 21 in bar 19, to draw backthe racks 16 and 17 to normal position. The plate 18 on which the rack15 is mounted is also provided with a lip or arm, 22, which extends overthe adjacent plate 18 on which the rack 16 is mounted. By the forwardmovement of the rack 15 the arm 22 is brought in contact with a pin, 23,on the end of the plate 18 on which the rack 16 with the toothed roller13.

Upon the plate 18 on which the rack 16 is mounted is an arm, 24,extending over the plate 18 on which the rack 17 is mounted. By theforward movement of the rack 16 the arm 241s brought against the pin 25on the end of the plate 18 on which the rack 17 is mounted, and causesthe rack 17 to be brought into gear with the toothed roller 13. By meansof this construction, arrangement, and movement of the racks, arms, andpins. the several depend ing plates or pins 10 10'10 are successivelymoved out from the sections 1, thereby releasing the same and causingthe sections to automatically drop into place against the side of thebuilding one after the other.

The toothed roller 13 is operated by an endless chain, 26, passing overa pulley, 27, mounted on the side of the building and over a pulley, 28,mounted on the shaft 30 of the toothed roller 13. Vhen the ladder islowered intoextended position, upon the first or lowest sect on 1 beingreleased from its pin 10, the section drops down and the friction-roller29 upon the end ofarms 30,extending out from the section 1, strikesagainst the wall of the building, and, as the sections are successivelydetached from their retaining pins 10 10, holds the latter in extendedposition and permits it to slide down the side of the building. Asshown, the operating-chain 26 is located between the windows of thebuilding, and the ladder also extends down in such a position as tobring the rounds between the vertical rows of windows of the building.

The several sections of the ladder are held out from the building bymeans of projections or brackets 31,having inclined guide-arms 31 andformed with recesses 32, in which the uprights of the sections 1rest,and which are constructed with buttons 33, having wires 34 in anelectrical circuit extendi ng to suitable alarm mechanisms on theseveral floors of the building, whereby upon the sections of the ladderdropping into place and pressing against the buttons 33 the occupants ofeach floor will be immediately notified ot' a fire.

In order to release the sleeves 9 from the joints of the ladder-sectionswhen it is desired to fold up the several scctions,I provideoperating-cords 35, by means of which the sleeves may be raised up fromthe joints. \Vhen it is desired to operate the chain 26,a suitable rope,such as 36, may be fastened thereto and the chain 26 operated therebyfrom the ground.

The several sections 1 are secured again in folded position by reversingthe movement of the toothed roller 13, and, by the action of the bar 19causing the racks 16 and 17 to be moved back, the pins 10 10' 10 aremoved back into original position for holding the sections folded up.

I do not intend to limit myself to the specific details of construction,as they may be varied a ses without departing from the essentialfeatures of the invention.

By means of this invention a fire-escape is provided which can bereadily extended into position for use,and is at the same time simple inconstruction and efficient in operation.

To return the ladder to folded position, it will only be necessary toraise the sleeves from the joints by means of the cords 35 and then tohoist the sections to folded position by a rope or any other suitablemeans, the pins 10 10 10 being moved back to engagement with thesections, as heretofore described, as fast as the sections are hoistedup to folded position.

Having thus described my invention,I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A fire-escape consisting of a ladder secured atits upper end to a building and constructed with folding sections,retaining projections for holding the ladder sections in foldedposition, and a releasing mechanism, substantially as described, forsuccessively withdrawing the retaining projections and permitting thesections to drop one after the other into extended position,substantially as described.

2. A fire-escape consisting of a ladder secured at its upper end to abuilding and constructed with folding sections, retaining projectionsfor holding each ladder-section in folded position, a releasingmechanism, substantially as described, for successively withdrawing therctaining projections and permitting each ladder-section to drop oneafter the other into extended position, and guide bracket-arms on thelowest ladder-section extending at right angles thereto, and serving toguide and hold out from a building the lower end of the ladder in itsdescent, substantially as described.

3. The combination,with bracket-arms projecting from the wall of abuilding, and having electric buttons connecting with an electric alarmmechanism, of a fire-escape consisting of a ladder secured at its upperend to the building and formed with folding sections, retainingprojections for holding each laddersection in folded position, and areleasing mechanism, substantially as described, for successivelywithdrawing the retaining projections and permitting each ladder-sectionto drop one after the other into extended position and bear against theelectric buttons and sound an alarm, substantially as described.

4. A fireescape consisting of a ladder secured at its upper end to abuilding and constructedwith folding sections, retaining-plates adaptedto hold each section'in folded position, a series of slide-bars,withwhich the retainingplatcs are connected, provided with racks andengaging arms and pins which successively are thrown into engagement tooperate the slide-bars one after the other, and an endless chain andtoothed roller engaging and successsively operating the racks,substantially as described.

5. In a fire-escape ladder formed with folding" sections, a mechanism'for retaining and releasing the folded sections, consisting of thetoothed roller'13,with endless operating-chain 26, and the slide-bars18, with racks 15 16 17, lateral arms 22 24, pins 23, 25, and 20, bar19, secured to the outer bar 18, and having recesscs 21 in line withpins 20, and depending plates 10 10 10, attached to slide-bars 18, andadapted to retain and release the laddersections 1,substantially asdescribed.

6. A fire-escape consisting of aladder formed with the folding sections1, the top section be- 1ng secured to a building, and the sectionsunited by joints consisting of projection 7 and recess 7, with shoulders8, links 6, and bracebars 9, pivoted to sections 1," and sliding sleeves9, with operating-cords 35, in combi- JACOB M AROUS F [N K.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD W. CADY, J. L. MOAULIFFE.

